


Moonshine and Memories

by LilyFire



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Death, Dreams, F/M, Haunting, Love, Memories, Sad, ghost - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-25
Updated: 2016-03-25
Packaged: 2018-05-28 22:41:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 901
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6348538
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LilyFire/pseuds/LilyFire
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Daryl's reaction to Beth's death, and his ensuing dream.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Moonshine and Memories

Daryl fingered the dirty glass of moonshine before taking another swig. Damn moonshine.

 

He would have drank anything – even blasted peach schnapps – if there had been any.

 

But there wasn’t.

 

So Daryl Dixon sat in an old shed, surrounded by memories and crappy moonshine.

 

Anger boiled up when he thought Beth’s limp body in his arms. 

 

They’d come so close, she was right there, practically next to him.

 

And then 

 

Gone. 

 

He shut his eyes at the memory of the gunshot, that twisted awful sound. The blood, how her body snapped up before plunging to the ground.

 

So much blood.

 

His beautiful Beth, covered in red. 

 

He hurled the moonshine at the wall of the shed. It hit the rickety wood with a crash, and shards flew everywhere, before raining down like dangerous drops of water. 

 

A piece of glass cut his cheek, but he was barely aware of the sting, too busy drowning in misery. 

 

Her face flashed in his mind, her smile, her beautiful eyes, her long blonde hair. 

 

The images wouldn’t stop, he couldn’t make them stop, so he pummeled the floor with his fists. Skin scraped off and blood bubbled to the surface, but his oblivion continued. 

 

Sobs began to well up in his chest, and he could no longer force them down. One strangled cry escaped, accompanied by a flood of tears. 

 

He missed her, he missed her so bad. 

 

The time at the funeral house – her singing, her gentle touch, her unending faith. 

 

Stupid, stupid, stupid to keep running with these memories. 

 

His brain knew, but his heart couldn’t keep up.

 

Beth, his angel in the darkness, and she was nowhere now.

 

The pain and fury ripped at him with poisoned claws, and he struggled for breath under their grasp. The sobs came louder, deeper, threatening to suck every ounce of breath from him.

 

He’d lost her. She’d been right there, so close to him. 

 

And then gone, all in an instant. 

 

She flooded his mind with her laugh and love, and he couldn’t stop it. He didn’t want it to stop. It was all he had left of her.

 

His angel in the darkness. 

 

The tears dried to his cheek, mingling with blood, and he fell into the night.

 

 

He blinked open his eyes, unaccustomed to the brightness that accosted him. Gentle green grass waved in the breeze all around him, and he sat up in fear. 

 

“What the hell?”

 

There were flowers, grass, sunshine. Exactly what the world looked like before it went to shit.

 

But it didn’t matter, because she was there.

 

“Beth!” then louder “BETH!”

 

Joy surged in every part of his body, and he was suddenly flooded with adrenaline, racing, racing to get to her.

 

She was wearing a flowing white dress, sleeveless and billowing down to her feet. Her hair was clean and unbound, and best of all there was not a scar or scratch marring her lovely face.

 

It felt like forever, but he crossed the plains, trampling the flowers in his desperate need to reach her.

 

“Daryl.” She breathed, and stretched out her hands to meet him.

 

He fell to his knees before her feet, the joy replaced by fear. He couldn’t bear to lose her again.

 

“Beth” her name was a sob, and he pressed his face the fabric of her dress, breathing in her scent.

 

Her fingers stroked his hair, and the action was so endearing that a sense of calm embraced Daryl.

 

Gently, she slid to her knees in front of him, cupping his face with her hand.

 

“You are going to be okay.” She murmured, her Georgian accent thickening the words. 

 

“No, not without you.”

 

“You will Daryl Dixon, I believe in you.”

 

He took her hands in his own, “Beth, I’m sorry, I’m so sorry, I should’ve – ”

 

He was interrupted by her mouth pressing against his, one small, lingering innocent kiss. 

 

When she pulled away she was smiling, her blue eyes shimmering with unshed tears “It’s not your fault, I don’t blame you. I don’t blame any of you.”

 

Her kiss tingled on his lips, and his heart beat wildly.

 

“Come back to us Beth. Come back to me.”

 

She shook her head, “I can’t Daryl.”

 

His voice cracked “Please”

 

“I wish I could, but I’ll be watching over you, all of you.”

 

“I’m sorry.” He pressed his head to hers, relishing her closeness.

 

Her fingers came to rest on his cheek, “Don’t be. You’ve come so far.” She fixed her gaze upon him “Keep going, they need you.”

 

She was fading fast, her form slipping from his grasp. 

 

Desperately he clung to her, unable to save her. Just like the first time. The fear came rushing back.

 

“Beth!”

 

“I believe in you Daryl.”

 

“Beth!” he croaked out

 

But she was gone.

 

“I love you.” He whispered

 

 

When he awoke, the sounds of Walkers greeted him. Their snarling and scratching sounding right outside the door.

 

He lost her.

 

Again.

 

His sense of duty shoved aside his ocean of grief. He’d make it through this, for her. 

 

Exhausted and drained, he struggled to his feet, an arrow in hand. 

 

Four dead Walkers later and he was with his group. His family.

 

He clutched his bow tighter.

 

He’d keep them safe, even if it cost him his life.

 

Besides, he had an angel in Heaven on his side.

 

Beth, his angel in this darkness.


End file.
